Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reason the Government has not yet ratified the World Health Organisation Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products.

It is UK policy that international treaties will not be ratified until all legislation required for implementation has been passed by parliament. We have now met this requirement with the introduction of legislation for the licensing of tobacco manufacturing machinery. This was included in the Finance (No 2) Act 2017 and a statutory instrument for The Tobacco Products Manufacturing Machinery (Licensing Scheme) Regulations 2018 was laid before the House of Commons on 25 January 2018.

Now that legislation has been passed, the text of the Protocol can be laid before Parliament as a Command Paper with an Explanatory Memorandum. Unless Parliament resolves against it, the UK can begin the formal ratification process, which we expect to start shortly.